


Veering Off Course

by midget_boss



Series: One Universe Over [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: First Meetings, Gen, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 05:28:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26467951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midget_boss/pseuds/midget_boss
Summary: Obi-Wan goes out for a few drinks the night before he becomes a general. He meets a pair of clones.
Series: One Universe Over [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1924129
Comments: 11
Kudos: 221
Collections: Good Things Happen Bingo





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Good Things Happen bingo prompt Meet Cute. This is the first in a series of stories where Order 66 never happens. No beta, so any mistakes are mine. Please let me know if anything jumps out at you.

“Do you come here often?” a voice asked from his left.

Obi-Wan nearly laughed. The last time he’d heard that line, it had been Vos saying it as he leaned over Obi-Wan’s arm and tried to steal his drink. It wasn’t Vos tonight. Instead, two clones were beside him. No, two men from Kamino. He refused to be part of the alarming trend of acting like they weren’t men, just because they all came from the same source.

The man right next to him had close cut blonde hair, while the other had jet black hair in a military cut and a wicked looking scar around his eye. Both looked at him. Curiously, he could only feel discomfort from one of them. The other felt like nothing at all. Either he had excellent personal shields, or he had special training.

“Not often, no,” Obi-Wan replied. He signaled the bartender. “A round of whatever’s on tap for my friends.”

He waited until the bartender had left before saying quietly, “If you’re not sure what to order, ask for the house special or whatever’s on tap, if you’re drinking. It’s usually a good place to start.”

“Usually?” the dark hair man asked. He looked very serious as he studied the room. Serious, and obvious. He’d need to learn to loosen up if he wanted to blend in. But maybe that wasn’t something he was worried about.

“Well, some places are just kind of shitty, so it won’t help,” Obi-Wan replied with a grin he hid behind his glass. Blondie snorted as he took his glass.

“Name’s Rex,” he announced as after he tried his drink. He made a face.

“They keep Starline on tap here,” Obi-Wan told him. “It’s one of the better beers, but sometimes they water it down. This time of night, they might have switched over.”

“Is that what you’re drinking?” the other man asked.

“I’m drinking Corellian brandy,” Obi-Wan admitted wryly. He sighed as he swirled his glass. “This is one of the few places that doesn’t desecrate it with ice.”

“Desecrate?” Rex asked. His lips twitched as amusement danced around him.

“Drinking brandy is serious business,” Obi-Wan told him seriously.

“I bet,” Rex replied. He took another sip of his drink. “This stuff’s okay, I guess, but it doesn’t have a lot of flavor.”

“Are you looking for flavor or kick?” Obi-Wan asked idly. “If you want flavor, try one of the spiced drinks. The Red-Apple Hurricane is good, but sometimes the spice burns. Or anything that has a base of spiced rum.”

“And if I want kick?” Rex studied the drink list above them.

“Usually, Vodka, although there are some rums and mixed drinks that have a higher alcohol content,” Obi-Wan answered.

“You seem to know a lot about alcohol,” the other man said.

Obi-Wan let the sting wash through him. It may not have been meant in a judgmental way, but something about his tone rankled. “I’ve had reason to learn about drinks.” A whole variety of reasons, from missions where the knowledge was vital, to missions where, in the aftermath, the effects were necessary, no matter how temporary.

The pair seemed to have a silent exchange. Obi-Wan didn’t want to interfere. He looked at the last of his drink and didn’t even feel like finishing it anymore. Still too sensitive, after Genosis and the part he’d unwittingly played in this whole mess. Logically, he knew he hadn’t started the war, but being part of the trap that had lured so many of his fellow Jedi to their deaths was still hard to swallow sometimes. Perhaps rum would have been a better choice tonight, or beer. He usually only indulged in melancholy with brandy.

“Another round?” the bartender asked as he came back by.

“I think I’m done for tonight,” Obi-Wan answered. He knocked back the last of his drink and stood. “Gentlemen, have a good night.” With a little bow he left.

It was beginning to get crowded, anyway. The crowd he had come in with would be moving on soon as this new group filtered in and the mood would shift from easy going. To what, he’d have to stick around to find out and he wasn’t going to do that. He’d come out to unwind, hoping to settle his uneasiness enough that he could face tomorrow and all that it would bring well-rested, if nothing else.

Coruscant was never quiet, not even at night, but it was quieter than during the day. Obi-Wan had loved this time of night, when he was still young enough not to immediately think of all the things the darkness hid. These days it took some effort not to think about them, to be able to enjoy the peacefulness around him. The darkness clouding the Force seemed to make everything else darker.

“Hey, wait,” a familiar voice called. Obi-Wan sighed and tucked his hands into his elbows. He regretted not wearing his robes, but he hadn’t wanted to be recognized as a Jedi tonight.

“Yes?” He turned to find them both coming up behind him. Obi-Wan hid his surprise and consternation as he waited. He’d had enough disapproval for one night.

Obi-Wan reminded himself that the man had barely spoken to him, and nothing outright disapproving. He hadn’t even felt disapproving. Perhaps the shielding was throwing him off. Most people didn’t shield unless they knew you were a Jedi. Or he could be projecting.

“Where are you headed?” Rex asked as they caught up to him.

“There’s a good diner near here,” Obi-Wan replied, although that hadn’t been his intention. Suddenly he wanted to see Dex and hear the latest gossip. There was something about Dex’s place that was soothing on nights like these.

“A diner, huh? Mind if we join you?” Rex asked. His friend stood very still, looking determinedly over Obi-Wan’s shoulder.

The only thing Obi-Wan could pick up from Rex was curiosity. It must be his first time off Kamino. He wondered if Coruscant seemed as confusing to him as it had to Obi-Wan the first few times he’d snuck out of the Temple to explore.

“No, I don’t mind,” he said softly. He glanced over at the other man. “Don’t worry, diners don’t usually serve alcoholic drinks, and Dex’s definitely doesn’t.”

“He’s not worried about that,” Rex replied. He elbowed his companion. “Wet blanket is his default.”

“I see,” Obi-Wan said, although he didn’t. While the other man looked very serious, so did Mace, and no matter what Anakin said, Mace did know how to have a good time. He just didn’t relax around people who tried his patience as often as they were able to.

Although what he could have done to upset this man, Obi-Wan couldn’t begin to guess. The tension couldn’t have been directed toward Rex, or why would he have gone out with him at all? Maybe it was from their conversation? Belatedly he realized that he hadn’t introduced himself.

“Ah, you can call me Ben,” Obi-Wan said as he turned toward Dex’s.

“But that’s not your name?” the dark haired man asked. He was a sharp one.

“Sometimes it’s not wise to advertise who you are,” Obi-Wan replied softly. “Especially in places that have more ears than walls.” From further down the street swiftly retreating footsteps could be heard.

“Makes sense,” Rex announced a little loudly. There was a slight scuffling sound, but Obi-Wan didn’t turn to find out what that was all about. It was none of his business, anyway.

“Does your advice about the special work at diners?” Rex asked eventually. He moved up to Obi-Wan’s left while his companion came up on his right.

“It works for most places to eat,” Obi-Wan assured him. He didn’t feel threatened, so he allowed the strange behavior. Maybe they felt more comfortable conversing if they could look over at him. Except that neither one of them looked at him, instead scouring the surroundings. “I’ve found it’s often a great conversation starter, if nothing else. Many eating establishments work hard on creating a dish, or sometimes a rotating set of dishes, that is unique to them, and so are very proud of it. Or them, as the case may be.”

“Does Dex have a special?” Rex asked.

“Maybe?” Obi-Wan shrugged. “To be honest, I’ve been going to Dex’s place since I was very young and I’ve never ordered anything. I used to tell him to bring me out something good, so now he doesn’t even ask anymore.”

“He must feel he knows you pretty well,” the other man said.

“He does know me well,” Obi-Wan replied softly. He smiled a little at the memories of all the times he had gone to Dex. He’d made sure to visit every time he was back on Coruscant, no matter how he felt.

“I’m guessing that’s it,” Rex said as they rounded the corner.

“What was your first clue?” Obi-Wan asked, all innocence as he stepped up to the door under the huge neon sign.

“Just a lucky guess,” Rex quipped.

It startled a laugh out of Obi-Wan. He was fun in an easy way, outgoing without being pushy. His emotions were quiet and steady, and curiosity had been the chief one. Obi-Wan found some of his tension easing and hoped that he would be stationed with more men like him.

Rex’s companion, on the other hand, was a different matter. He stepped forward to survey the diner before he opened the door for them. His gaze examined each of the half dozen occupants as thy made their way to a booth. No expression showed on his face and his shields remained tight.

They went to the booth in the corner, one of only two that had a wall on two sides instead of windows. Rex gestured for Obi-Wan to slide over in the booth. Amused, he did so, carefully noting the way the other man reacted. Or didn’t react, as it happened. Where they out together as friends or something else? Their companion gave Rex a look as he sat, but he just smiled smugly. No way for Obi-Wan to tell what that was about.

“Welcome, my friend,” Dex said as he came over. He beamed at Obi-Wan. “I see you’ve brought friends tonight.”

“They found me over at Neese’s place,” Obi-Wan confessed. No, he didn’t really know them, but it was fine.

“I’m Rex,” Rex said quietly. He nodded at his companion, who sat across from him. “That’s Cody. We were told to ask for the special.”

“The special, huh?” Dex asked, eyeing all of them.

“To be fair, I told them that works at most places,” Obi-Wan said hastily.

“He did admit he didn’t actually know if you had one,” Cody informed Dex solemnly.

Dex laughed, his whole body shaking with it. “I’ve known this kid for a long time,” he told them cheerfully. “I don’t know what they feed him, but every time he’s here he eats like he’s been starving. Rarely cares what he’s given, so long as it tastes good. Between you and me, I get worried if I don’t see him regularly.”

“Surely I’m not that bad,” Obi-Wan protested.

“Even as a scrawny kid he could eat as much as a grown man,” Dex continued happily. “I like to try out new dishes on him. He’s not too picky, but picky enough that I know not to bother putting it on the menu if he doesn’t like it. Not like that friend of his, who could eat just about anything. What about the two of you? Are you picky, or can you eat anything?”

“At the moment, we’re willing to try anything,” Rex replied with a grin. “We reserve the right to change our minds later.”

“Well said.” Dex laughed again. “Two specials for my new friends and one surprise. Coming right up.”

“So, how long have you been on Coruscant?” Obi-Wan asked conversationally.

“This is the third day,” Rex replied. He leaned back and surveyed the room.

Belatedly, Obi-Wan realized they were keeping an eye out for threats. He’d done the same thing many times on missions, but he’d never looked for trouble here, on his home planet. A silly notion, in retrospect, considering his apprenticeship and all the trouble that had found him here. Maybe that was why he’d never seen any of it coming. And he got on to Anakin about his situational awareness.

“Friend of yours?” Cody asked suddenly.

“Who?” Obi-Wan looked around, mystified. He followed Cody’s gaze out of the window and spotted Vos leaning against a wall. His gaze was fixed on Obi-Wan. When their eyes met Vos tossed his head and disappeared. “You could say that.”

At least, they had been friends. He’d like to think they still were, but the last few times they worked together they seemed to spark off each other in the wrong ways. Maintaining friendships was more work than he’d thought it would be, when he was younger. But then, everything had turned out to be more work than he’d thought it would. Funny that Vos would turn up here tonight, when it was the first time he’d thought of him in over a year.

Cody was watching him without actually looking at him. Obi-Wan had been under such scrutiny many times. He wondered what the man thought of him. Was he just some random strange guy his friend had decided to hang around for the night? Was he looking forward to the dinner being over, so they could be rid of him? He certainly didn’t seem to be enjoying himself. Well, Obi-Wan hadn’t exactly been his most charming self so far.

“Have you had a chance to do much exploring?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Nope,” Rex replied. He continued to scan the diner. “Had to get everything squared away first. This was the first opportunity to go out that I’ve had. There’s supposed to be a bunch of different museums, right? Do they really have a museum dedicated to cheese?”

“They really do,” Obi-Wan replied. He thought of Anakin’s disbelief when they went. “They have many exhibits about how cheese has been made in the past and how it is made now on the different planets that make cheese. There are dioramas, a children’s play area where they can pretend to make different kinds of cheeses, and even a cafeteria where every dish has cheese in it.”

Both clones stared at him. Rex looked torn between amused and disbelieving. Cody looked blank before he turned away. Obi-Wan stifled a sigh. He hadn’t had this much trouble with a conversation since he was a teenager.

“Here we go,” Dex announced as he stepped up to the table. “Two specials, and one Trouble with trouble sauce.”

So Dex had also spotted Vos. Great. Whatever it was that he needed, he wasn’t being subtle. That meant he’d better wrap this up quickly, if he wanted any chance of getting a decent night’s sleep before he met his battalion tomorrow. He really would prefer to start off on the right foot with them.

Neither man hesitated, which Obi-Wan found a little strange. For all the caution they showed with everything else, he half expected one of them to have some kind of scanner. But they dug into their food without qualm.

“This is good,” Rex exclaimed. He closed his eyes and savored the taste. “What’s in this?”

“Shrike meat, with a special sauce and sautéed vegetables,” Dex said proudly. “It’s pretty popular. I came up with the recipe about three years back, but it took a while to get just the right blend of seasonings for the sauce.”

Obi-Wan tuned him out. He’d heard the story so many times he could almost give it. Instead, he focused on his own food. Jerked dewback meat, with a special rice pilaf and vegetable medley. It was one of the few dishes that Anakin would admit to enjoying from his childhood. Shmi had apparently made an amazing version of it, those few times Watto had let them have scraps of dewback. Better not mention it to Anakin.

Cody was clearly accomplished at multi-tasking. He gave nearly every appearance of being engrossed in both his food and Dex’s story, but every time he snuck a glance Obi-Wan caught a flicker of movement from the man’s eyes. Obi-Wan turned his attention firmly back to his food.

“So, you boys shipping out soon?” Dex inquired.

“Yep,” Rex agreed. “Tomorrow afternoon.”

“You know where?” Dex played casually curious. The men exchanged glances.

“Not really,” Rex replied. “This is my first deployment.”

“Well, good luck out there,” Dex said, gracefully giving in. He knew he’d have a better chance getting information another time if he didn’t push now. “I hope you make it back here someday soon.”

“I’ll definitely be coming back the next chance I get,” Rex assured him.

“Glad to hear it,” Dex told him, slapping his shoulder. “You’re all welcome here any time.”

“Thank you,” Cody replied. “The food was good.”

Dex just nodded and beamed. “Maybe next time you stop by earlier. It’s a different menu, depending on the time of day.”

So it was time sensitive, whatever Vos needed. Time to go, then. He’d managed to finish the meat and rice, but he’d have to abandon the last half of his vegetables. A shame, because these had been perfectly prepared.

“I must be going, gentlemen,” Obi-Wan announced. He smiled gently at Rex. “If you would be so kind as to let me out.”

“Give us a minute and we’ll go with you,” Rex said as he tried to move his food into one pile.

“Thank you, but no,” Obi-Wan replied. He kept his smile firmly in place. “I’m going to go meet my friend. He won’t like me springing new people on him suddenly.” Well, in some circumstances he wouldn’t. This was probably one of those times, or he would have joined them.

“Can’t blame him for that,” Rex agreed, although he moved reluctantly as he stood.

“I hope we can meet again sometime,” Obi-Wan said as he scooted across the booth. He met Cody’s gaze and had to suppress a shiver at the intensity. There was still nothing from him, no way of telling if he disliked Obi-Wan or if he was just an intense person. The feel of it lingered in him as he stood.

“We will,” Cody replied.

The Force echoed with the truth of that statement. Obi-Wan felt his eyebrows go up in surprise, but Cody turned back to his meal. He bowed and hurried out, but the incident haunted him all the way back to the Temple.


	2. Outtakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two possible scenes after Obi-Wan left the diner.

Outtake 1:

“Well that went well,” Rex said dryly. He eyed Cody. “Didn’t your command classes teach you how not to creep the nat borns out?”

“He wasn’t creeped out,” Cody replied.

“Okay, a, how would you know, we met him a little over an hour ago and you’ve barely spoken,” Rex demanded, exasperated. “And b, if I didn’t know you, I’d be creeped out.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Cody said, looking over Rex’s shoulder. ‘Ben’ was about to round the corner. His gait was even and he didn’t look back. Had to give him credit for being decisive, but Cody itched to go after him.

“Coruscant to Kote, anyone coming in?” Rex asked as he waved his hand in front of Cody’s face. He looked over his shoulder, but all he caught was a glimpse of a figure moving out of sight. His brother was too sharp not to guess who it was. Cody wanted to punch the sly smirk off his face. “Oh, I see how it is.”

“I don’t even want to know what you’re on about now,” Cody announced as he stood up.

“I’m sure you don’t.” Rex grinned wickedly as he followed. “So when you said we should ask that guy at the bar for advice on drinks, what you really meant was …”

“We needed advice on drinks,” Cody pointed out flatly. “You were the one who wanted to try somewhere new to us both.”

“It worked out pretty well, didn’t it?” Rex demanded as he stretched. “We got a good meal and an interesting conversation partner, for all you didn’t add much to the conversation.”

“He wasn’t exactly talkative,” Cody said defensively.

“Who would be, with you doing your droid impression,” Rex retorted. “What, were you afraid you’d break something if you said more than one sentence at a time.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Cody muttered. He checked his sight lines as they walked out of the diner. Two young unknowns on the left, clear on the right.

“You want to know what was ridiculous?” Rex demanded gleefully. “That last line of yours. ‘We wiil.’ You realize there are trillions of people on this planet, right? There’s a good chance that after tomorrow we’ll never even see this planet again.”

“This is where the GAR base is,” Cody pointed out as they walked.

“That doesn’t change the fact that we might never see it again,” Rex shot back.

“Now you’re being morbid,” Cody groused. He hated the fact that Rex was right.

“I’m being realistic,” Rex replied with a shrug. “And my point still stands. The odds of us meeting that guy again aren’t high, but you said that like it was a promise.”

Cody shrugged, unable to put his certainty into words. They would meet again. He might not know how or why, but he did know that they would meet again.

Outtake 2:

“Still think he looks familiar?” Rex demanded. He didn’t bother hiding his amused smirk.

“Yes,” Cody replied. He didn’t look up from the last few bites of his meal.

“You’ve been deployed for the last six months, so you’ve been on planet how many times?” Rex asked idly. He already knew the answer.

“This is my second time, as you well know,” Cody grumbled.

“I know you haven’t spent much time at the bar since we got here,” Rex said casually. “And knowing you, someone would have had to drag you out the first time and no one else is likely to do it a second time.”

“Do you have a point?” Cody demanded.

Rex shook his head in mock disgust. “It’s no wonder you wanted me to talk to him for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I wrote the original story, I had in my mind that Cody thought Obi-Wan looked familiar, but he doesn't actually know who he is. I've tried to write Obi-Wan and Cody officially meeting, but it isn't working out right now so you can have this.


End file.
